Boundaries
by lovepotiontotomfelton
Summary: Draco is going through this marriage because he has been ordered to, his family wanting to gain influence with Lord Voldemort. Hermione is doing this because it will expand her family's kingdom and prosperity. Will they find true love?


**Boundaries Chpt. 1 Prey**

I you are looking for a sappy depiction of a true love story then this isn't the tale you are looking for, because this story is far from that. If you are looking for a comedic tragedy, well you might a little of that here, for this story contains both, but allow me to level with you here. If you want a story full of passion and struggle, of angst and triumph, of battles and broken hearts and dreams, of true love and plenty of sarcasm, well…you came to the right place. This is about two people who come together through very unlikely circumstances, against their better judgement of course, because that's what forbidden love is all about right? So, this is about two people who have reached the edge of their boundaries, and are about to cross the line. The story of Draco and Hermione.

A lone figure moved through the woods quickly and silently, her boots masking the sound of her steps as she made her way through the thick underbrush. She was tailing something, or rather someone, that should not have been this close to the palace and go unnoticed. She had left the palace earlier that morning, restless and frustrated from the endless stream of gossip that was spreading around the palace like wildfire, and the whole city for that matter. Word was it that their beloved princess' betrothed was finally coming for a formal introduction this week after many years of correspondence and the entire city was in an uproar about it. Apparently her new husband-to-be was quite a looker and fabulously rich, two qualities that everyone seemed to appreciate.

"_As if I have time for any of this nonsense," _she thought bitterly, her eyes following signs that only she seemed to see. She picked up her pace, wanting to get to her quarry before the day was over with. As she flew through the woods, her mind wandered back to events that seemed to be the center of her life. Her parents were making such a fuss over the whole affair. In six months she was to be 21, which meant that was also when she was supposed to marry this dandy of a man, and she was dreading every minute of it. It wasn't that she didn't want to be married, she really did, but she wished she was able to make the choice on her own, not have someone decide who it needed to be. But that was the price that was paid when born into royalty, self sacrifice and all that other noble nonsense. She had made plenty of sacrifices over the years. She poured herself into her studies, spending more time with her nose in books than learning how to knit, and that suited her just fine. She loved knowledge and lived for learning, also hoping that if she seemed to intelligent or not "womanly" enough for the other family they would let her off the hook in this marriage. It didn't quite go as she had planned, seeing as they still insisted that it was a good idea. So, she then turned her attention to weaponry and ended up graduating at the top of her class for both her knowledge in academics and her skill with the sword.

"_But it looks like both of your plans backfired and now you are still stuck in this whole bloody affair,"_ she thought with a snort, and continued onward until she made her way to a small clearing. She paused and slowly examined the scenery before her before something caught her eye. She took a few steps forward and bent down, picking up a small piece of green fabric embroidered with silver thread that looked like it had been snagged and then torn off. She turned it over in her hands frowning thoughtfully before placing it in her pouch and turning her attention back to the ground. A faint bootprint was visible in the dirt and she brushed her fingertips over the grooves that were molded into the damp earth. Her eyes narrowed in displeasure as she pulled her hand away, brushing her hand on her boot since the dirt clung to her fingers. The print was still fresh , and her eyes quickly darted around the small clearing looking for any other signs of life while her ears strained to hear any unusual sounds. Sensing nothing, she quickly brought up the hood of her black cloak to cover her brown curls, and then proceeded to bring up her veil, masking all of her freckled features except for her eyes. She placed her hands on the hilts of her scimitars which were strapped to either side of her waist and squeezed them fondly before quickly getting to her feet and setting off into the direction of her prey. The hunt was on.

Farther into the woods, a solitary figure could be seen making his way through the underbrush all the while muttering obscenities under his breath. He was not in a happy mood to say the least and was grateful that no one was around to be subject to his wrath, not that he really cared if he hurt anyone's feelings. It wouldn't do for his image and his family's reputation however if he was seen grumbling about his lot in life. So he trudged on, glad at least for a little peace that he had gained by taking a walk when his company stopped for lunch. Of course there were underhand motives that prompted this was. He was getting the lay of the land, mapping it out carefully so he could report his findings back to his father, and his father had made it clear that he wanted exact details.

He absentmindedly fiddled with the snag in his emerald cloak, knowing that it would not be up to his usual standards of presentable dress, and he sighed. Well, let the local yahoos think whatever they want, he really didn't give a damn either way. He was marrying into the royal family anyway whether he wanted to or not, sooner or later they would be _his _yahoos and who knows, maybe he would set a new fashion trend. He frowned and his tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth as he thought about what he was going to be doing six months from now. Getting married. He had known his purpose his entire life but now that it was actual looming closer he was…annoyed. He would now have to spend the next six months trying to develop a somewhat decent relationship with a girl that he vaguely remember attending school with, Hermione was her name, and the only thing that really caught his mind was the she had finished top of the class. At least she was intelligent, which meant that she would leave him alone and prefer to spend her time in her studies, and that suited him just fine. However, he had to pretend to at least be interested in her since he was staying with her family, and putting on appearances was always something that he had been good at. He smirked as he thought about it, the poor girl would not even know what hit her.

He continued on farther before stopping and leaning against a giant oak tree, running his fingers through his white blond hair and taking in his surroundings in one final time before he decided to head back. He was just about to turn to head back when his sixth sense kicked in. Something or someone was watching him. He pushed away from the tree and slowly walked forward a few steps before stopping, his eyes scanning the woods around him as he strained to hear anything. The woods around him were quiet and that caused him to frown as he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and shifted his feet to a better stance. Better to be prepared than sorry, or worse, dead. Of course all of that advice flew out of his mind as he heard a snort of contempt behind him and the kiss of cold steel against his neck.

She had been following him for the better part of an hour now and she was beginning to get restless. She had caught sight of him soon after leaving the small clearing and she had followed at a distance, trying to determine what his motives were. She had plenty of time to study him and had to inwardly admit that he was good looking, in a ghost like way. White blond hair that was kept short and trim, messy now of course since she watched him run his long fingers through it. His build was lean but muscular and fit and he walked with a dignified air that was both appealing and dangerous. His skin was pale and smooth, like he didn't get out much, but his familiarity with the woods and the sword strapped to his waist stated otherwise. Perhaps he was just delicate, and the thought of that made her smirk. In all honesty he looked familiar, but she didn't muse over that long because she was getting closer to him and he must be treated as a threat until proven otherwise. She dropped down under the cover of some tall grass and quietly eased her scimitars out of their sheaths. She then began to quickly make her way over to him without making a sound. She could see him changing his stance and drawing his sword, obviously taking note that he was not alone here and she darted over to the tree that he had previously leaned on. She stood there and waited until his back was to her before stepping up behind him quietly and pressing her scimitar against his neck.

"Hmpt," she snorted in contempt as she watched him stiffen. Secretly pleased that she had caught him off guard. "One move and you will be dead," she said rather bossily and pressed the tip of her scimitar harder into his neck. "Who are you and what are you doing here."

It was one thing for him to be caught off guard, it was another thing to be caught off guard by a female. He could tell even though her voice was muffled and he wasn't facing her. He gripped his sword a bit tighter, not wanting to get bested in this situation. "I wasn't aware that it was a crime for a man to go on a casual stroll through the woods," he said icily as he turned his head slightly to the side, trying to catch a glimpse of her before she pressed her scimitar into his neck once again.

"You are not going on a casual stroll, your clothes are far too tailored for that. Did you get lost in the woods lordling?" she asked sarcastically, a smile finding a way to her lips. She was actually itching for a fight and perhaps he would be kind enough to give it to her.

He stiffened at her words, his feet shifting a bit as he prepared for his next move. She was obviously good to catch him off guard the way that she did, and he was going to treat her like an obvious threat until she proved him otherwise. "I don't recall saying that I was lost, and why would a bandit care about who was traveling through these woods unless they were obviously looking for an easy profit." She had to be a bandit right? "And you have made the mistake of thinking that I am an easy target!" And at that he darted away from her and quickly snapped around, bringing down his sword to cleave her in two, only to be stopped by two blades and a pair of fierce brown eyes. His eyes widened in surprise, not expecting the two blades and he quickly took the opportunity to study her while their blades were locked. He could only see her eyes, for a black veil and hooded cloak covered her facial features. The armor that she was wearing was also black but it was not an armor that he recognized, since it clung to her like a second skin. She must have paid a hefty price for it because it was a fine quality and it was obviously enchanted.

"Scimitars, interesting choice," he said casually before breaking away from her and taking up a defensive stance. "I do not wish to hurt you, that will make me terribly late to meet the royal family."

Her eyes widened as he mentioned the royal family and she slowly stood up from the crouch that she had dropped into when they had broke apart. She stared at him harder, trying to realize why he looked so familiar. He kind of looked like…Draco.

She gasped as everything clicked into place. He looked like an older version of the boy she remembered from school…..the boy that she was supposed to marry. Well, this was rather awkward. She slowly put her scimitars back in there sheaths, watching him all the while hoping that he wouldn't make any sudden movements.

"I do not wish to fight you either. Mother and Father would be highly displeased if I did," she said with a bitter laugh. The whole situation was incredibly ironic, and maybe fate was trying to tell her to just embrace what was happening. She brought up her hands to remove her veil and push back her hood, letting her brown curls spill down her shoulders and back. "Perhaps you remember me Draco, since I'm sure you know what has been planned out for us our entire life….." She paused as she saw the shock of recognition on his face and smirked.

"How are you husband."


End file.
